1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present general inventive concept relating to an image forming apparatus and a toner sensor status sensing method thereof, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus which adjusts a control voltage of a toner sensor, and a toner sensor status sensing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms an image based on printing data. The image forming apparatus may form an image by a one-component developing method, i.e., only by a toner, and two-component developing method, i.e., by both a developer (carrier) and a toner. The two-component developing method is employed in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a multi function peripheral (MFP).
As the image forming apparatus employing the two-component developing method forms an image, a density of a toner becomes lower continuously to cause a changing of a density of a developer. To maintain the quality of a developed image, a developing unit that is mounted in the image forming apparatus requires a toner sensor that senses a density ratio of the toner and the developer.
The toner sensor of the developing unit transmits an output voltage being changed by a predetermined control voltage, and provides information on the remaining amount of the toner to the image forming apparatus. At an initial stage of being mounted in the developing unit, the toner sensor transmits the output voltage according to a reference density set by a type of the image forming apparatus.
The output voltage of the toner sensor is set during a manufacturing process of the developing unit to be transmitted according to correct reference density. Accordingly, the control voltage changing the output voltage is manually adjusted from the outside, e.g., by a jig. Once set, the control voltage cannot be adjusted again. Thus, the image forming apparatus may not sense an abnormal state of the toner sensor, e.g., the unchanged output voltage according to the density of the toner, and may not sense the abnormal state of the toner sensor and an agitator when the output voltage of the toner sensor is changed according to a rotation of the agitator of the developing unit.